To: Board of Supervisors
From: Ann Elliott, Human Resources Director
Report Title: Add two full-time (40/40) Librarian II (3AVD) positions to the Library Department
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT Position Adjustment Resolution No. 26526 to add two full-time (40/40) Librarian II (3AVD) (represented) positions to Org No. 3718 in Department 0620 - Library.
FISCAL IMPACT:
If filled by January 1, 2025, the total cost for this fiscal year is estimated at $140,000. The annual cost is projected to be $280,150. There is no expected net budget impact as the added cost will be offset by savings from contract termination.
BACKGROUND:
The Library’s main supplier of circulating materials, Baker and Taylor, has declared bankruptcy, meaning they can no longer provide their contracted services such as cataloging and processing. These tasks require about 65 hours of work each week, which the Library’s current two-person cataloging team cannot handle alone. Cataloging involves:
• Searching the library database for existing records
• Searching OCLC for existing records
• Downloading or creating title records
• Adding local fields to title records
• Determining classification and cuttering, the process of creating a Cutter number, which is a short alphanumeric code used to arrange books on shelves alphabetically by author, title, or subject
• Loading records into the library database
The County Librarian is requesting two additional Librarian II positions to address this issue and prepare for other anticipated changes in department operations due to the loss of this supplier. The added staff would enable the Library to order more frequently from a wider range of vendors, especially those who do not supply catalog records, such as many LOTE (Languages Other Than English) vendors. It would also enable the Library to better manage the expected decrease in print resources by increasing its electronic resource offerings.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If these positions are not approved, cataloging backlogs, limited vendor options, and unmet demand for electronic resources will negatively impact on the Library's service.